Easily get cold / sore throat, why??

[SandSurfer]

Hi everyone, as  the title says, I get my throat a bit inflamed pretty easily; it itches, feels swollen, sometimes even hurts (almost always on the sides, close or at the back of the tonsils). While most others can wear short sleeved clothes, get a bit rain-washed, drink cold stuff when it's not hot outside, etc, those are almost sure cold triggers for me. Only in summer (20-28°C or hotter) can I do all those things care free.

Past related medical history includes several tonsillitis episodes in a year (1998, after which their size decreased by about half, and I started having mild ones about 1-2 per year). My right nostril is slightly closed , so I have to blow my nose a few times every day to decongest it (funnily, my MD said it was fine and didn't need surgery, anything). I have 3 mercury/silver tooth fillings, which could be increasing toxicity levels inside my throat. They are rather small, though. Something else, probably very important, I get runny nose right after waking up and for the following 2-3 hs in very (90%+) humid places. I used to live in such a place and it ended up being absolutely unbearable, I reckon my mouth/nose/ear tissues could have gotten chronically sensitive bc of that. Finally, I'm 39 years old, male, quite fit (work out almost every day since I'm 12), no other major ailments whatsoever. No medicament/food allergies as far as i know.

Please help. I reckon I may have a chronic infection in the throat that for the most part goes unnoticed, and that's why I get cold symptoms so quickly after being exposed to cold. Any comments or observations are very, very welcome.

Cheers

[SandSurfer]

Something else that I forgot to mention is that I'm quite sensitive to cold. While many other ppl still stay in short leaved clothes at ~20°C or a bit less, I need light long sleeved ones, otherwise my throat starts feeling funny soon after. It's been like that for the past ~13 years, since I had the repeated tonsillitis episodes.

[SandSurfer]

Something else that I forgot to mention is that I'm quite sensitive to cold. While many other ppl still stay in short leaved clothes at ~20°C or a bit less, I need light long sleeved ones, otherwise my throat starts feeling funny soon after. It's been like that for the past ~13 years, since I had the repeated tonsillitis episodes.

[SandSurfer]

Something else that I forgot to mention is that I'm quite sensitive to cold. While many other ppl still stay in short leaved clothes at ~20°C or a bit less, I need light long sleeved ones, otherwise my throat starts feeling funny soon after. It's been like that for the past ~13 years, since I had the repeated tonsillitis episodes.

[SandSurfer]

Hi, thank you very much for your reply. Regarding sinus infection, it would manifest mostly as some pain on the face, forehead, sides of the head, etc, as far as I know? Actually, I had GERD about 10 years ago, however, I've had this proneness to get colds way earlier (about a decade earlier than that, that is, for the past ~20 years), and the symptoms rarely include pain in the sinuses area. Therefore, how about other possible causes, such as having persistent bacteria/viruses inside the mouth/throat, vitamin deficiency (which I don't think so but you never know), etc? What do you think are other likely causes of being prone to colds? Thank you so much again, cheers

[caregiver222]

Despite what you have heard the tooth fillings, in all probability, have nothing to do with your problem. Somewhere along the line, when you have an infection, a culture should be taken. The most likely etiology is GERDS, or a malfunctioning esophageal sphincter, permitting gastric juices to ooze upwards when you sleep, leaving the surface of the esophageous inflammed. If there is chronic sinus infection, it will drip down and infect the inflammed tissue. The procedure to wash out the sinus cavity is called antral lavage. Sleep at a slight angle, and avoid foods that cause esophageal sphincter relaxation such as coffee, alcohol or chocolate. Look up GERDS and request and eveluation by your physician.